Job Loss and the Patch

I read the other day that most Patch employees have lost their jobs due to the organization being purchased by Hale Global. The hammer fell earlier this week in what reads to be an uncomfortable way.   While all those staff members most likely will not return to read a blog about job loss in Long Branch - Eatontown Patch, here is my advice for what it’s worth and from someone who has been in their shoes.

1.      Create a resume while your accomplishments are fresh in your head.  If can’t bring yourself to do that yet, make a list of your strengths and accomplishments.
2.       Never burn your bridges. Never.
3.       Try to get a hold of your performance appraisals because they will help with your resume development.  Grab your calendar too (all the entries will remind you of the good stuff you've done).
4.       Make use of every network connection or opportunity that your company has (even if the wound is still so fresh and you are still fuming).
5.       Realize that some of the people that you thought were your work friends will turn their backs on you and that can hurt just as much as losing your job.
6.      Give yourself a break. Losing a job is difficult and it’s common to grieve and feel a roller coaster of emotions.

I’d like to thank Christopher Sheldon, Long Branch - Eatontown Patch Editor for all of his assistance these past few years. He helped me set up the Patch job search blog and couldn’t have been a nicer, more professional person with whom to work. 


“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Service and Martin Luther King

A friend from high school posted this quote from Martin Luther King on her Facebook page today, "Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."  

Today, Martin Luther King Day is a "A Day On, Not a Day Off" as thousands of people from all over the country volunteer. I hope that many of those thousands of people continue that service and not discount the other 364 days of the year.

We've talked about the many benefits of service here before. Not only are you providing your hands and heart to an organization that needs you, but you are also helping yourself in your job search.  That aside, please keep the Martin Luther King's words and the spirit of volunteerism alive long after the sun sets tonight.

Who Moved My Cheese and the Job Search

Someone posted the video, Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson to a LinkedIn group as part of a discussion about handling change.  I remember reading the book years ago and relating it to all of the changes that occurred in my corporate job. 

I forgot how much I love the book and its fable about two mice and two little people who live in a maze next to their favorite food; cheese.  When the cheese begins to disappear, they all have different reactions.

Watching the YouTube video brought it all back and now, rather than relating it to the always changing workplace, I thought of how it aligned perfectly with the job search; especially for the older job seeker. I also saw it relating to the person who has lost his or her job and who struggles to accept it and move on. 

There are several messages that are written on the walls within the maze. They are:

• Change Happens: They Keep Moving the Cheese.
• Anticipate Change: Get Ready for the Cheese to Move
•  Monitor Change: Smell the Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old
• Adapt to Change Quickly: The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese
• Change: Move With The Cheese
• Enjoy Change! Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!
• Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again: They Keep Moving The Cheese

Take a look at the video and think about what may be holding you back in your search for a new career. Then, adapt, change, enjoy and monitor!

Help a Friend With a Network Connection

Today the Bureau of Labor and Statistics announced that only 74,000 jobs were created or added in December, 2013 when that number was expected to be 200,000. Insiders said these low numbers could in part be blamed on the severe cold weather in December and that it kept people inside rather than out looking for work.  Hummmm, that kind of makes me scratch my head. On top of this, 347,000 people just dropped out of the workforce in December. They gave up. That's a number I believe. 

This news brought me back to a class I gave a few days ago.  A participant asked about re-entering a field that he had left several years ago and how difficult it is to get a foot back in the door. We were talking about networking at the time and how up to 85% of jobs are filled through someone you know. He said he tried the tips and thought he was doing everything right but no one, not even the friend with whom he used to socialize after work would get back to him. What was he doing wrong?  I don't know the technique he used but I have heard this before and have to say that I don't think that he is doing anything wrong.  I think that the people on the other side of the network call or email are just not helping.  There I said it.

Maybe there are new company policies about networking or maybe the contacts are getting swamped with requests. I wonder what would happen if just one person passed along the resume of a friend to a hiring manager or HR department? Things would definitely change but I'm afraid that's a pipe dream.

Your contacts have a job (and I'm guessing that because of the changes in the economy and workplace that they are overworked) and they are lucky.  This trend of not helping someone who asks for some networking help is depressing and discouraging. 

Helping a network contact is not like hugging someone with leprosy; you won't catch it. Lend someone a hand; give someone a break*. Then, after your help, it's up to them to prove themselves.

Several times a week I work with people who can't catch that break. They are good people and any company would be happy to have them. They are real people with real needs and real families to feed and mortgages to pay.  They are like you and me... heck it WAS me five years ago.

The numbers today are discouraging and it looks like things aren't going to change.  Wouldn't it be nice if we all stood up and offered to help a friend by making a network introduction? Everyone knows someone. Everyone.  For goodness sake people, help someone, make a connection. Give someone a second chance.

* A moment of luck in difficult times. Idiom Quest

Setting Goals in the New Year

You don't need to choose January 1st as THE day to start making changes however today I am starting a journey of personal transformation. While I look forward to what is ahead of me, I worry about the adjustments that I’ll have to make. One of the things I will do to kick-start my plan is to set goals. I plan on reviewing them every morning and then again at night. You can do the same thing for a job search. Here are a few tips on how to do that.

In my book, Job Search for Moms, I talk about goal setting as a fundamental part of any business planning process and as such, should also be a vital first step of your job search plan. Setting goals allows you to visualize your future, clarify your steps, and focus on dates. It is the cornerstone of the job search planning process in that it allows you to focus on necessary steps while weeding out any needless distractions. It’s also highly motivating and a useful way to measure your time and progress.

Within the context of the job search, your goals should be written in specific terms, they should have precise time frames, and they should be measurable. A specific goal tells you exactly what you want to accomplish. It’s helpful to break each broad goal statement into manageable smaller statements. This step not only keeps you on track, but allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment when it's achieved. A time oriented goal statement should include specific target dates and the approximate time you will need to complete each of the steps. It should include concrete criteria or action steps that will allow you to measure your progress.

Setting goals in the planning process of your job search allows you to focus and move in the right direction. It also gives you a sense of purpose or accomplishment to check off each action item as you move forward. Here are a couple of sample goal statements that may help you take the necessary steps in one phase of your job search; writing your resume.
Resume Development Checklist

Prepare final version of resume by January 12, 2014

Identify specific skill sets by....
Create measurable accomplishments by…
Create career history by....
Create summary statement by....
Choose resume template by...
Type first draft using selected template by....
Get feedback from contacts by....
Type final version by...

Why not give it a try? Setting goals will allow you to not only feel productive but be productive.  Happy New Year!

LinkedIn and the College Student

I was helping a college student with her LinkedIn profile. She asked me if LinkedIn can help college students and of course I answered in the affirmative.  Why not have a leg up on the competition by having a LinkedIn account now rather than after graduation?  You can always update it to reflect your different experiences and skills.  So what did we do?

1.   We created a Summary or Background statement and wrote it in the first person; you know "I" and "My".  In it we showcased the skills that she has grown into as a student and part time employee.  We looked up the skills needed in her chosen (for now at least) professional and worked those into her statement.  For example, if the skills needed in a future job include problem solving and decision making, we used those words to describe some of her characteristics (as long as it's honest). We downloaded her resume here too.

2.   We added more to the Employment section than company name and title.  We completed a quick description of the position responsibilities.  We found some of those words by Goggling the company website. 

3.    We added Skills and Expertise: We added these as they related to the jobs she has had and the jobs she is interested in.  We also added some of her more technical skills such as Microsoft Office.

4.    We Collected Volunteering and Organizations: We added the names of the organizations for which she volunteers and a short description of what she does.

5.   We Searched for Groups:: We looked for groups in her college major, college groups, college internship groups and the college or university LinkedIn page.

6.     We Added Contacts: I showed her how to invite people using real words and not the canned invitation and left that to her.

7.    We Looked for Companies to Follow: I showed her how that worked and let her select those on her own.

      8.  We Selected a Photograph: We selected a professional looking head-shot from her "thousands" of  photos.

That’s it.  It took a couple of hours but at least this young college student can stand apart from the crowd with a professional LinkedIn profile.  It certainly won’t hurt her chances of finding an internship or professional position down the road.

On Having Fun at Work and School

I was reading an article on LinkedIn about the lack of play or fun in organizations and this led to many thought-provoking comments about the lack of play in schools.  One man said that play is a structure that kids are placed into to work around the narrow requirements of the parent’s work schedule.  Wow. Another commented that as a teacher he has noticed that many children don’t seem to know what to do with themselves when given free time or a recess.  The kids may have more equipment and balls than we had in school yet they don’t seem to know what to do with it all. Another mentioned that all the testing and structure and requirements that go on in school don’t take into account the right-brained children; those that thrive on creativity and arts. 

That’s all very sad.

I belong to a Facebook group that celebrates the memories of an elementary school.  They talk about their favorite teachers and memories. My dad was a teacher at that school so I joined to bring in some of the memories that he shared with me.  It’s funny; these folks are all grown up and have families and successful careers of their own.  When they talk about the school they talk about the teachers who took them on walks to identify trees and seeds, they talk about the 5^th grade vs. the 6^th grade baseball game, they talk about the Christmas play, they talk about the love, compassion and impact they felt from specific teachers and they talk about the fun they had learning. 

My dad, the teacher that they all mentioned in the above categories used to tell me that when I found my calling or profession that I should love it and have fun with it or move on to something else.  I was lucky enough to have experienced fun and teamwork and synergy my entire career.  I swear that it came from having fun as a kid.  I think that rather than concentrating so much on common core standards and left-brain mentality, educators and administrators should inject a little play, arts and recess into the schools.  Perhaps we’d get better rounded employees out of it, those who can have fun in their jobs and grow the company profits while doing so.